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| Fitness |
 Beyond The
CrunchBy Theresa Cochran, PFT, CFC, AFLCA Winter is here… Let the Skiing and Snowboarding season begin! Strong abdominal muscles are vital to support daily living as well as to help support recreational pursuits. It is critical to the health of the back and the stability of the body, to strengthen all of core muscles. Thus, it gradually improves your skiing or snowboarding performance. To examine the anatomy of abdominals, individuals need to be aware of the types of muscles and their different functions. The core muscle groups that are important for skiing and snowboarding are the Transverse Abdominis, the internal and external Obliques, the Rectus Abdominis, the Erector Spinae and the pelvic floor muscles. The Transverse Abdominis is the deepest muscle of the abdominal wall. It is located below the belly button and wraps around the entire body. It stabilizes the pelvis and spine during movement. When skiing or snowboarding, the Transverse helps to hold the body in an upright position and plays a major role in balance. The Internal and External Obliques are located on the sides of the core area. When the Obliques are activated on only one side of the body they rotate the trunk and bend the body to the side. When snowboarding an individual often rotates their body and legs to opposite sides. To rotate the body to opposite sides effectively an individual must strengthen their oblique muscles. The Rectus Abdominis is the most superficial muscle. It works with all the other core muscles to stabilize the pelvis when skiing or snow boarding. The Erector Spinae muscles are the prime movers in back extension (bending backwards).They ascend the spine on both sides. These muscles are very active while a person is skiing or snowboarding because they lean forward and hold that position for a long period of time. Without strong Erector Spinae muscles, the result will be a sore back. All of these core muscles are responsible in some way to stabilize the spine while the rest of the body engages in movement. It is crucial for a stable skiing or snowboarding technique that the core muscles are trained in the way that they are going to be used on the slopes. Train the stabilizers in a way that dictate how they function. An individual needs to incorporate exercises that encourage stabilization at the same time as movement into their fitness program. Think beyond the crunch! A skier or snowboarder needs to have great abdominal strength and stability. An example of a stabilization exercise to increase these core areas would be a 'front bridge' or a 'plank'. Starting from a prone position (face down) on the floor, place the elbows directly below the body and lift body off the ground from the knees, and then from the toes as you get stronger. Keep the body in a straight line while keeping the abdominal muscles contracted. In this position, drop one hip at a time towards the floor and hold for 5 seconds, repeat 5 on each side. Another example of a core conditioning exercise that will improve balance and stability on the slopes, is kneeling on the hands and knees on a stability ball. This creates instability in the body and encourages the core muscles to work very hard to keep a person from falling off the ball. Incorporate a medicine ball into training by sitting on the floor with knees bent and upper body lowered to a 45-degree angle. Hold a medicine ball in the hands and rotate the upper body side to side. This will encourage the obliques to work while the Transverse Abdominis stabilizes the lower extremities. This exercise is similar to an individual going down the ski hill. These exercises will help to stabilize the spine and increase stamina on the slopes, which will help an individual enjoy a greater skiing or snowboarding experience. There are a number of exercises that can be done in order to train the core muscles to be better stabilizers. Core Conditioning fitness classes are recommended in order to strengthen the core muscles or see a personal trainer for some exercise suggestions or new ideas. Core stabilization exercises is a challenging, effective and fun way to increase an individual's stamina and stability on the slopes! Theresa Cochran, PFT, CFC, AFLCA, is the Active Living Programmer at Southland Leisure Centre. She is a Certified Personal Fitness Trainer, Consultant & a land & aquatic fitness Instructor. To inquire about the programs offered at Southland Leisure Centre, contact Theresa at 403.251.8117 or email: tcochran@gov.calgary.ab.ca |